This invention pertains in particular to Fender Stratocasters or any electric guitars with a similar bridge plate and tone block design. Regarding prior art, these guitars are traditionally strung by having the strings make nearly a 90 degree bend as they go over the string saddles and then terminate inside the guitar at the tone block. As such, there is significant string drag (friction) at the saddles which causes pitch stability problems when the tremolo arm is used . Other prior art solves this problem by rerouting the guitar strings (keeping them on the topside of the guitar) giving a much softer string bend past the string saddles which significantly reduces string drag (friction) at the saddles, but this prior art requires a modified bridge plate and string saddle assembly. This invention effectively solves the same problem also by rerouting the strings (topside of the guitar), the improvement here being: without any modifications to the guitar bridge plate or string saddles (i.e. these parts do not need to be replaced).
For the case where the guitar bridge has been setup in the traditional manner, one can only use the tremolo arm to go downward in pitch. While “dive-bombing” downward in pitch via the tremolo arm, the guitar strings relax in tension and tend to creep past the string saddles and down back into the interior of the guitar. When the tremolo arm is then released, the result is that the guitar goes and stays out of tune to a higher pitch (i.e. sharp). The same is true if the guitar has been setup in a “floating bridge” configuration. To get the guitar back to its original proper pitch, one has to do string bends upward in pitch and then release them to get the strings back to where they were with respect to the saddles before the tremolo arm was used. This problem exists even if the strings are lubricated at the string saddles according to manufacturer's recommendations.
The object of this invention is to effectively solve the pitch stability problems as previously described in prior art by significantly reducing string drag (friction) at the saddles. After use and then release of the tremolo arm, with this invention the guitar returns to its proper pitch. Prior art requires a modified bridge plate and string saddle assembly. This invention requires no modifications to a guitar or any of its parts and pertains in particular to Fender Stratocasters or any electric guitars with a similar bridge plate and tone block design. Note that the newer style rectangular-shaped string saddles are here required (not the vintage string saddles).
With this invention, the guitar strings are rerouted giving a much softer string bend past the string saddles (similar to Gibson guitars). This is accomplished by removing the intonation adjusting screw and spring from each of the six string saddles. The guitar is then restrung with each string first going through the corresponding hole in the bridge plate (on the top of the guitar). The string then goes through the hole in the string saddle (which previously held the intonation adjusting screw). The string then sits in the groove of the string saddle and the other end of the string is terminated as before at the tuning peg of the guitar neck. At this point, the string saddles are held in position by only the guitar strings.
Key to this invention are the two simple readjustable string saddle clamps (later described in detail) which hold and lock the string saddles together in position after string height and intonation adjustments have been made. With all six of the string saddles clamped together as a unit and the guitar tuned to pitch, they will not move (true even if a string breaks). Both the guitar strings and the saddle clamps hold the saddles in position. For this reason, if the guitar needs to be restrung, it should be done so one string at a time.
This invention has three other noteworthy features. First, it is a low-profile design and as such does not change the “feel” of the guitar. Second, the saddle clamps hold all six string saddles together as a unit and therefore level with respect to the bridge plate (in accordance with the string saddle manufacturer's recommendations). Third, it is possible to implement this invention without modifying a guitar or any of its parts (thus allowing a guitar to be easily put back to its original condition if desired).